Improvement in cotton-harvesters



APll-RLEYl & IOHNSON.

Cotton Harvester.

Patented`..Dec.-11, 1860.v f

...llllull Irvs l.

N. PETERS. Plmloldhcmphr. Washlngmn. D, C.

A serving as guides.

UNITED STATESv WM.- APPERLY AND' c. P. JOHNSON, oF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT iN COTTON-HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part ott Letters Patent No. 30,862, dated December 1l, 186i).

To, all whom 'it mail 'concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM APPERLY and C. P. JOHNSON, of Memphis, in the coun- I ty of 'Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and Improved Cotton-Harvester;

`and we do herebydeclare'that the following is a. lull, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part 0i' this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side sectional view of our invention,'taken'in the line x, Fig. 3; Fig. 2,

a transverse vertical section ofthe same, taken in the lineyy, Fig. l; Fig. 3, a plan or top View ofthe same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

l'.lheobject of this invention is to obtain a simple and eficient machine for gatheringcotton from thestanding-stalks,so'as to supersede the usual manual operation. I

v The invention consists in the employment or use of rotating pickers having a risingand falling and also a reciprocating movement, and*A A representsa framing of rectangular form,

which is mounted on the wheels B B', said wheels being on independent axles a, a.

To the under side of the framing A there are attached longitudinally parallel pendent boards C C, which project down some distancebelow the axles a of the wheels B Bf, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2.

D represents the thills, which are attached at one side of the front end ot' the framing A, as shown clearly'in Fig. 3. This arrangement admits of the draft-animal walkin g in the space betweenthe rows of cotton, while the framing may pass over the rows, the plants being between the wheels B B', as shown more particularly in Fig. 2.

In the framing A there is placed a horizontal plate, E, which is allowed to slide freely be tweeuside bars, b b, of 'the framing, said bars This plate Eis perforated with holes c, through which vertical arborsd pass, said arbors being covered with teasels set in ai wire covering or arrangedin any suitable way. The upper parts of the arbors d pass througha plate, F, and have pulleys e on y their upper ends, and the plate Fhas bearings ffattached to its upper surface, in which bearings the crank g cfa shai't, (i, is fitted. T he shalt G is rotated by a belt, H, from the wheel B: Ior gearing may be used instead.

To each side ofthe plate E there is attached a vertical plate, l. These plates are slotted vertically, as .shown at h, and the crank gis titted'thereln. v On the front part of the plate F there isI placed a roller, J, around which and pulleys@- at the upper ends of the ai'bors d, at one end of plate F,cordsj pass,.and cords 7c' pass around the pulleys e of the arbors. By this arrangement a rotary motion is given .the severalv arbors d from the roller J. Through one end of the roller J a rod, l, passes, Said rod being fitted' loosely inthe framing, so that-it may rotate therein by the-movement imparted to the plate F by the, crank g. The rod l,'in connection `with the movement of the plate F, rotates the roller J, from which the arbors d are rotated by the means just described. The plateF has imparted to it by the rotations of the crank g a forward and backward and upward and downward curvilinear movement, while the working ofthe crank g in the slotted upright Icomlnunicates a reciprocating movementto the plate E, the latter being retained in proper position by pins m m, which are attachedl to the lower parts of the plates I, and work under guiderods n n, attached to the framing.-

To one en'd ofthe crank-Shaft Gr there is at- /tached a pulley, o, from which a rotary fan or blower, L, on the front part ot' the framing is driven by a belt, p.

At eachend of the framing A there isplaced a roller, g, around which endless strapsM pass, said straps extending over the upper surface of the perforated plate E. These stra-ps M may be covered with lfine wire teeth or cards arranged in any suitable way, and the straps may be driven by a belt, i", from a pulley on the wheel B.

To each end of the plate-E there is attached an apron, N.- 'lhese aprons pass around rollers O O at the ends of the framing .A, and each roller has a cord,- s, attached to its outer end, saidv cords passing through guides 'and being attached to springs t at the side 'of the framing, the sprin gs having a tendency to keep the aprons rolled up ou the rollers O O.

' From the above description it will be 'seen that as the machine is drawn along the arbors or rotary pickers will descend as they rotate and gather the cotton from the bells on the standing stalks, and the cotton will be drawn -up through the perforations of plate E- and stripped from the pickers by the straps M,'which move in the direction indicated by the arrows. The cotton is taken from the straps M, and is brushed or blown by blower L into a lbag or 1 .an y proper receptacle attached to the front part Vof the framing?,r A.' The aprons NA N, which ab so receive cotton which may drop from the straps M, have the cotton removed from them 'course would be attended with more expense in constructingthe machine but it operates much better. Belts are liable to become looseV and liable to injury from moisture.

The pendent boards C C serve as guards, keeping the standing cotton-stalks, the wheels B B', and also keeping.' the cotton in proper position to be acted upon by thefpicke'r, the latter passing down between them, as shown in Fig. 2.

This machine may be .drawn by horses; or it may be propelled by steam or other motor. It may be constructed at a moderate cost. Y The draft also will be light, so that a team may readily draw and operate a medium-sized machine -without being ,overtaxech Thel wheels B BA must be suiciently broad to insure a proper degree of traction to operate the working parts. 1

Having. thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. 'lllereciprocating platet E, picker d, and

plate F, when combined and' arranged to oper-l ate as herein shown and describedto wit, the pickers d, having a rotary and also a reciprocating and rising and falling movement,

as and for the purpose herein set forth.

' 2. The arrangement'of the crank-shaft G, slotted uprights I I, plate F, roller J, and the belts j k or their equivalents, all being'arranged, substantially las shown, for the purpose of giving -the proper movement t0 the pickers d.

3. In connection with plates E F and pickers d, the endless straps M, blower or brush L, and aprons N N,'arrangedfor joint operation, as and for the purpose herein set forth,Y

. WM. APPERLY.

CALVIN I. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

W.Y J. HAUSELMANN, F. M. MARTIN. 

